System and method for ordering and facilitating payment of a print product including a digital image

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented method programmed for execution in a computing environment for ordering and facilitating payment of a print product. The method comprises storing a digital image in a memory of the computing system; allowing for the selection of a print product using a user interface to establish a print order, wherein the print product includes the digital image, and wherein the print order includes an identification of the selected print product and an order cost; generating a unique payment link by the processor that corresponds to the print order and provides a user computing device with access to communicate payment information to a remote payment processing system; providing access to the unique payment link to the user computing device; receiving a payment notification at the processor from the remote payment processing system; and allowing for the fulfillment of at least a portion of the print order using a printing device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/909,363 filed Jun. 23, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,172,077, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/246,698 filed Jan.14, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,728,400, which claims the benefit of U.S.Patent Application No. 62/675,111, filed May 22, 2018, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system and method for orderingand facilitating payment of a print product including a digital image;in particular, the present invention is directed to allowing a user toorder a print product using a print product ordering system that iscontrolled by a first business entity, wherein payment for thefulfillment of the print product is made through a payment processingsystem controlled by a second business entity that is accessed using auser computing device through a unique payment link generated by theprint product ordering system and provided to the user computing device.Further, upon receiving a payment notification from the paymentprocessing system, the print order is fulfilled by a printing device anda request for a final payment is made by the print product orderingsystem to the payment processing system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of mobile computing devices to capture digital images has becomecommonplace. Digital images are being captured to record special familymoments, to post the occurrence of events on social media websites, andto generate a wide variety of print products that incorporate thedigital images. As the demand for print products has increased, a numberof different computer-based platforms, such as photo kiosks, websites,and mobile applications, have been created to make it convenient for aconsumer to order a print product. These platforms facilitate theprocess of obtaining a print product by allowing the consumer to uploada digital image from a user computing device, and select a physicalprint product for fulfillment.

Photo kiosks are an interactive computer-based platform that may bephysically located within retail stores, drug stores and grocery stores.They are a convenient platform because they offer the customer theability to upload digital images located in the user's mobile computingdevice or access digital images that were previously uploaded by thecustomer, and customize a print product using the uploaded digitalimages without having to interact with store personnel. This allows theuser to take the necessary time to select a print product without beingpressured. Further, depending on the capabilities of the kiosk and theprint product ordered by the consumer, the kiosk may include a printingdevice that allows for the fulfillment of the print product on the spot.For example, a kiosk may be capable of instantly printing various sizedimage prints while the consumer waits providing instant satisfaction tothe consumer.

While photo kiosks provide many advantages to the consumer, thisplatform does provide some drawbacks. For instance, in order for thecustomer to make payment for the print order, the photo kiosk may have apayment processing system incorporated therein that is configured toreceive the user's personal identifiable information and paymentinformation, and directly collect payment for the print order. This isnot ideal because the inclusion of the payment processing system withinthe photo kiosk increases the cost of manufacturing the photo kiosk.Further, this method requires that the business entity that operates thekiosk to collect personal identifiable information and paymentinformation from the user, which must be handled carefully by thebusiness entity that operates the photo kiosk to avoid violating anyapplicable privacy regulations. There are scenarios where an order isplaced at a photo kiosk and the customer must provide payment at aservice counter to provide payment to a service representative. However,this alternative method defeats the purpose of the photo kiosk being afull functioning self-service platform that allows the customer tofulfill a print order without having to interact with a customer servicerepresentative.

Accordingly there is a need for a system and method for ordering andfulfilling a print order without requiring the photo kiosk to processpayment for the print order, while at the same time eliminating the needfor the customer to provide payment to a customer servicerepresentative. The present invention fills these needs as well as otherneeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention includes a computer-implementedmethod programmed for execution in a computing environment for orderingand facilitating payment of at least one print product. The method isimplemented utilizing a computing system including a processor, amemory, and a user interface device in communication with the processor,wherein the computing system is controlled by a first business entity.The method comprises: a) storing a digital image in the memory of thecomputing system; b) allowing for the selection of at least one printproduct using a user interface of the user interface device to establisha print order, wherein the at least one print product includes thedigital image disposed thereon, and wherein the print order includes anidentification of the selected at least one print product and an ordercost to fulfill the print order; c) generating a unique payment link bythe processor that corresponds to the print order, wherein the uniquepayment link provides a user computing device with access to communicatepayment information to a remote payment processing system over a networkto provide payment for the print order, wherein the payment processingsystem is controlled by a second business entity, and wherein thepayment information includes personal identifiable information; d)providing access to the unique payment link to the user computingdevice; e) receiving a payment notification at the processor from theremote payment processing system; and f) allowing for the fulfillment ofat least a portion of the print order using a printing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be betterunderstood by reference to the following description of the invention inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for implementingone or more aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram generally illustrating various components thatmay be utilized for the implementation of one or more aspects of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating another exemplary method forimplementing one or more aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 4A-4C is a sequence diagram showing an example of howpayment for a print order may be processed in conjunction with themethod set forth in FIG. 3 ;

FIGS. 5A-5J are exemplary screen shots from a user interface of a kioskwhen used in accordance with the method set forth in FIG. 3 ;

FIGS. 6A-6M are exemplary screen shots from a mobile computing devicewhen used in accordance with the method set forth in FIG. 3 ; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram generally illustrating a computing environmentin which the invention may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the systems and methods described herein for ordering andfacilitating payment of a print product including a digital image may beimplemented in hardware, software or a combination thereof, and may bedistributed across a variety of computing devices.

This document is organized as follows. In the first section, an overviewof the techniques and implementation is provided and described withreference to some component devices and an embodiment of the invention.In the next sections, an exemplary system and algorithms for providingaspects of the present invention are discussed. Following this, anexemplary computer environment for the implementation and use of theinvention is described.

In general, the present invention provides a computer-implemented methodin the form of computer-executable instructions programmed for allowinga consumer (hereinafter “user”) to order a print product including adigital image from a first business entity, and facilitating payment ofa print order through a payment processing system controlled by a secondbusiness entity using the user's computing device. Referring to thedrawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a flow of an exemplary method 100 inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention. Initially, method100 includes a step 102 of storing a digital image provided by a user ina memory that may be accessed by the first business entity so that theprint product can be subsequently fulfilled using the digital image.Next, the user is allowed to select at least one print product toestablish a print order at step 104. The print product may be any typeof product that is capable of incorporating the digital image thereon,including, but not limited to, an image print, calendar, mug, photobook, posters, blankets, phone case, pillows, clothing, or jewelry. Theprint order that is established may include an identification of theselected at least one print product and an order cost to fulfill theprint order. After the print order is established, a unique payment linkis generated by the first business entity to correspond to the printorder at step 106. The unique payment link provides a user computingdevice with access to communicate with the remote payment processingsystem over a network to provide payment for the print order. At step108, access to the unique payment link is provided to the user computingdevice. Next, at step 110, the first business entity receives a paymentnotification from the remote payment processing system indicating that apayment authorization has been received by the remote payment processingsystem through use of the unique payment link by the user computingdevice, wherein the payment authorization is for an amount equal to theorder cost. After receiving the payment authorization, the method thenallows for the fulfillment of at least a portion of the print orderusing a printing device at step 112. Other aspects of the method aredescribed in more detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 2 , an exemplary system that may be used toimplement the methods and aspects described herein is identified asreference number 200. System 200 may comprise a print product orderingserver 202 and a photo kiosk 204 (hereinafter “kiosk”) that are incommunication over a network 206 and controlled and/or operated by afirst business entity. Network 206 may be any type of network, such as awide area network or local area network through a wired or wirelessconnection. In one aspect as described below, server 202 and kiosk 204operate in conjunction with one another to accomplish the functionalityprovided by the methods described herein. However, it should beunderstood that it is also within the scope of the present invention tohave kiosk 204 perform one or more operations that are provided byserver 202.

Server 202 includes a memory 208 that is configured for storing one ormore digital images that are transferred from a customer computingdevice 210 (hereinafter “user computing device”) over network 206. Usercomputing device 210 may be any type of computing device, such as, butnot limited to, a desktop computer 212 or a mobile computing device 214(e.g., smartphone, tablet, etc.) that is capable of transferring one ormore digital images to server 202 over network 206. For example, thetransfer of the digital images to server 202 may be directly from amemory of user computing device 210. The transfer of digital images toserver 202 may also be from an external storage location 216, such as asocial media website (e.g., INSTAGRAM® and PHOTO( ) or cloud-basedmemory location when such a transfer is authorized by the user orotherwise permitted using the user computing device 210. Server 202further includes a processor that is configured for executing thecomputer executable instructions that are provided to perform theoperations and functions described in detail below.

Kiosk 204 is an interactive computer-based platform comprising a userinterface 218 (e.g., display monitor with touch screen capabilities) anda memory 220 that is used alone or in combination with server 202 toimplement a print product ordering system 218. Print product orderingsystem 218 is configured to associate at least one digital image(hereinafter “digital image”) with a digital representation of anavailable print product substrate to form a digital representation ofthe resulting print product for display on user interface 218 of kiosk204 for selection by a user 224. The association of the digital imageand the digital representations of the substrates provides user 224 witha visual representation of how the digital image will look on asubstrate if it were ordered and fulfilled. Print product orderingsystem 218 may also operate to allow for an association of a digitalimage with an available substrate without displaying a visualrepresentation of the resulting print product. The digital image used byprint product ordering system 218 may be obtained from memory 208 ofserver 202, or uploaded to memory 220 of kiosk 204 using an externalmemory device, such as a thumb drive or memory card, or throughcommunication with mobile computing device 214 through a Bluetooth, LWAN(e.g., WiFi), or other similar connection. After the digital image istransferred to kiosk 204, the digital image may be stored locally in thememory of kiosk 204 and/or in memory 208 in server 202.

Print product ordering system 218 is further configured to allow user224 to establish a print order including the selected substrate and theassociated digital image to be disposed thereon. Once the print order isestablished, print product ordering system 218 proceeds to operate inaccordance with certain aspects of the present invention to facilitatepayment for the print order as will be described in more detail below.When it comes time to fulfill the print order by producing the printproduct including the digital image, system 200 may utilize a printingdevice 226 incorporated within kiosk 204, or communicate the print orderto a photofinishing system 228 over network 206. The determination as towhere fulfillment of the print order takes place may be determined basedon the capabilities of printing device 226 and/or the supply of theprinting substrates that are currently available to printing device 226.For example, if the print order specifies a substrate that is notcapable of being generated by printing device (e.g., a coffee mug), thenkiosk 204 may communicate the print order to photofinishing system 228,which may have a plurality of different printing devices 230 that arecapable of printing on a variety of substrates. In another example, eventhough kiosk 204 is capable of printing on the substrate specified inthe print order, the print order may be communicated to photofinisher228 for fulfillment if kiosk 204 currently does not have a sufficientamount of substrate to fulfill the print order. Print product orderingsystem 218 may also be configured to take into consideration theavailable substrate supplies and printing capabilities of kiosk 204and/or photofinishing system 228 when displaying the substratesavailable for selection by user 224 on user interface 218. Therefore, ifneither kiosk 204 nor photofinishing system 228 is able to produce acertain print product based on capability or supply of substrate, thenuser 224 will not be presented the option on user interface 218 toestablish a print order including such a substrate.

It should be understood that print product ordering system 222 may bestored in memory 220 of kiosk 204 and/or in memory 208 of server 202.Print product ordering system 222 is not limited to any specifichardware or software configuration, but may rather be implemented ascomputer executable instructions in any computing or processingenvironment, including in digital electronic circuitry or in computerhardware, firmware, device driver, or software.

System 200 may further include the utilization of a payment processingsystem 232 (e.g., BRAINTREE) that is in communication with network 206,and controlled or operated by a second business entity. It should beunderstood that the second business entity is different than the firstbusiness entity that controls or operates server 202 and kiosk 204. Aswill be described in more detail below, print product ordering system222 provides user computing device 210, and preferably mobile computingdevice 214, with access to payment processing system 232 by sending aunique payment link that may be used to complete payment for the printorder with payment processing system 232. In this manner, user proceedsto use mobile computing device 214 to communicate the necessaryinformation (e.g., credit card information) to pay for the print orderdirectly to payment processing system 232 without any communication ofsuch information to print product ordering system 222, server 202 orkiosk 204. Once payment authorization is obtained by payment processingsystem 232, notification of the authorization may be sent to printproduct ordering system 222, and the print order can be fulfilled byprinting device 226 and/or 230.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an exemplary method 300 that may beimplemented using system 200 in accordance with one aspect of thepresent invention. FIGS. 4A-4J are exemplary screen shots from kiosk 204that may be displayed on user interface 218 during the implementation ofmethod, and FIGS. 5A-5M are exemplary screen shots from a display ofuser computing device 210 during implementation of method 300. Theaforementioned screen shots will be referred to throughout thediscussion set forth below to illustrate an exemplary implementation ofmethod 300.

Method 300 is computer-implemented and programmed for execution in acomputing environment for ordering and facilitating payment of at leastone print product. Method 300 comprises a step 302 of receiving at leastone digital image (“digital image”) at server 202 from user computingdevice 210 over network 206. The digital image may be received directlyfrom user computing device 210 or external storage location 216, orindirectly by mobile computing device 214 uploading the digital imageusing kiosk 204 and then to server 202. For example, as best seen inFIGS. 6A-6F, mobile computing device 214 may be used to accept the termsand conditions for using system 200, select or capture one or moredigital images, and upload the digital images to server 202.

After server 202 receives the digital image, the digital image is storedin memory 208 of server 202 at step 304. When the digital image isstored in memory 208 of server 202, a unique identifier is generated byserver 202 at step 306, wherein the unique identifier is associated withthe digital image. In other words, the digital image may be tagged withthe unique identifier so that the digital images can be later recalledfrom memory 208 using the unique identifier. The unique identifier maybe a code including at least one of numbers, letters, or symbols. Atstep 308, as best seen in FIG. 6G, the unique identifier is thencommunicated to user computing device 210 that uploaded the digitalimages to server 202 so that the digital images can be recalled whenutilizing kiosk 204 to order a print product including the digitalimage.

At step 310, as best seen in FIGS. 5A-5C, kiosk 204 allows for the inputidentifier to be provided either by manual entry by a user using userinterface 218, or by an interaction between mobile computing device 214and kiosk 204 such as by the scanning of a code displayed on mobilecomputing device 214 by kiosk 204. The input identifier is received atserver 202 from kiosk 204, and the processor of server 202 compares theinput identifier with the unique identifier at step 312, as seen in FIG.5D. When the input identifier matches the unique identifier, the digitalimage stored in memory 208 of server 202 is communicated to kiosk 204over network 206 for display on user interface 218 of kiosk 204 at step314. Once the digital image is displayed on user interface 218, as seenin FIG. 5E, digital image may be edited or modified by changing theattributes or characteristics of the digital image such as, but notlimited to, color, saturation, hue, contrast, brightness, as well ascropping, panning, enlarging, or rotating the digital image.

At step 316, method 300 allows for the selection of at least one printproduct (“print product”) using user interface 218 of kiosk 204 toestablish a print order. In some instances, the available section ofprint products may be limited to only those print products that arecapable of being printed by kiosk 204, and photofinishing system 228 ifutilized in system 200. The print order may include an order number, anidentification and quantity of the selected print product, and an ordercost to fulfill the print order. Order cost information may be storedand/or calculated at kiosk 204 and/or server 202. As seen in FIG. 5E,the print order may be submitted by clicking a “print now” button onuser interface 218, which results in the print order being received atserver 202 from kiosk 204 over network 206 at step 318. As seen on FIG.5F, payment options are then displayed for selection by a user to givethe user an option to pay using mobile computing device 214 or to pay atthe register.

After receiving the print order from kiosk 204 and an indication thatthe print order is to be paid for using mobile computing device 214, aunique payment link or code is generated at server 202 or kiosk 204 thatcorresponds to the print order at step 320, and provides mobilecomputing device 214 with access to communicate with payment processingsystem 232 over network 206 to provide payment for the print order. Asmentioned above, payment processing system 232 is controlled by a secondbusiness entity. For example, the unique payment link may be in the formof a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link. At step 322, as seen in FIG.5G, access to the unique payment link is provided to mobile computingdevice 214 to begin paying for the print order using payment processingsystem 232. Access to the unique payment link may be provided to mobilecomputing device 214 in any number of ways, including displaying theunique payment link on user interface 218 of kiosk 204 so that uniquepayment link may be manually entered into mobile computing device 214.Access may also be provided by displaying various buttons on userinterface 218 that will operate to communicate an e-mail or text messagefrom server 202 to mobile computing device 214 that includes the uniquepayment link. Further, access may be provided by displaying a QR code onuser interface 218 of kiosk 204 that is able to be scanned by mobilecomputing device 214 to automatically enable the unique payment link toinitiate the payment process with payment processing system 232. Whenthe unique payment link is used by mobile computing device 214 inaccordance with any of the aforementioned options, user interface 218may provide a visual indication to user 224 that the payment process ispending as seen in FIG. 5H. A status of the print order in server 202may then be set to pending as it awaits a payment notification frompayment processing system 232 that payment authorization has beenobtained.

FIGS. 4 and 4A-4C illustrate an exemplary sequence showing theoperations that may be provided when mobile computing device 214 usesthe unique payment link to process payment for the print order. Withreference to FIGS. 2-4 and 4A-4C, when mobile computing device 214 usesthe unique payment link, a payment initiation notice may be sent toserver 202 and a first one-use token ID is generated by server 202 thatidentifies the print order that was received so that server 202 is ableto subsequently associate payment information received from paymentprocessing system 232 to the respective print order. First token ID isprovided to mobile computing device 214 at step 324. The differentpayment options (e.g., credit card, APPLE PAY, etc.) are then presentedto user 224 on a display of mobile computing device 214 along with asummary of the print order at step 326, as seen in FIG. 6H. As seen inFIGS. 6I-6K, mobile computing device 214 is then used to enter and/orprovide payment information (e.g., name, credit card number, credit cardexpiration date, CCV number, etc.) to payment processing system 232 atstep 328, which may include personal identifiable information. Thepayment information is not provided to server 202 or kiosk 204. Thepayment processing system 232 associates the payment information to theprint order using the first token ID provided by server 202. The paymentprocessing system 232 then generates a second one-use token ID thatrepresents, but does not include, the payment information that was madeusing mobile computing device 214. At step 330, the second token ID isthen communicated from payment processing system 232 to mobile computingdevice 214. At step 332, mobile computing device 214 then communicatesthe second token ID, the first token ID, payment type and order total toserver 202 so that server 202 can reconcile the payment request with theprint order, and request that payment processing system 232 seekauthorization for payment of the print order at step 334. During thistime, kiosk 204 may send an inquiry to server 202 to check on the statusof the print order to determine if the print order should be fulfilled.To this point, an inquiry by kiosk 204 would show the status of theprint order at server 204 is “pending,” which indicates that payment forthe print order has not been authorized and kiosk 204 and/orphotofinishing system 228 should not yet fulfil the print order.

Payment processing system 232 then operates to seek authorization forpayment for the print order based on the mechanism that was selectedusing mobile computing device 214, as seen in FIG. 6L. For example, if acredit card was used to pay for the print order, then payment processingsystem 232 may seek authorization through the use of an AutomatedClearing House (ACH) transaction. It should be understood that otherpayment mechanisms may also be utilized in method 300. Once the paymentfor the print order is determined to be authorized by payment processingsystem 232, server 202 receives a payment notification from paymentprocessing system 232 at step 336 indicating that a paymentauthorization has been received by payment processing system 232 throughuse of the unique payment link by mobile computing device 214. Thepayment authorization may be for an amount equal to the order cost. Atthis point, the payment has been authorized, but has not yet beenfinalized because the print order has not yet been fulfilled. Thus, thestatus of the print order at server 202 may be changed to “authorized”at step 338 to allow for fulfillment of the print order at step 340.However, it is contemplated that payment may be finalized at this stageof the process prior to the fulfillment of the print order.

Kiosk 204 may send an inquiry to server 202 to determine if the statusof the print order in server 202 changed from pending to authorized.Once the status has changed to authorized, the print order may befulfilled by producing the specified print products using print device226 of kiosk 204 and/or one or more printing devices 230 atphotofinishing system 228. As seen in FIG. 6M, mobile computing device214 may then provide information to the user on the display that theprint order is being fulfilled. User interface 218 of kiosk 204 may alsoprovide an indication to a user that the print order is in the processof being fulfilled, as seen in FIG. 5I. As previously discussed, theprinting device that is used to produce the print products will dependon the capability of the printing devices and/or the substrates that areavailable to the printing devices. Once the print products have beenproduced by the kiosk 204 and/or photofinishing system 228, kiosk 204may provide an indication to a user that the print order has beenfulfilled, as seen in FIG. 5J. Further, a print completion notificationis received at server 202 from kiosk 204 and/or photofinishing system228 indicating the fulfillment of the print order at step 342. Thestatus of the print order at server 202 may then be changed to“printed.” At step 344, server 202 requests a final payment amount frompayment processing system 232 and such payment is captured by paymentprocessing and received by server 202 or send directly to a bank accountowned or controlled by the first business entity. If all of the printproducts in the print order were fulfilled, then the final payment maybe equal to the order cost. If the payment processing system 232 chargesa processing fee for processing the payment for the print order, thenthe processing fee could be deducted from the final payment amount thatis provided to server 202 or the bank account of the first businessentity. It is contemplated that payment processing system 232 be paidits processing fee through other means as well, such as being paiddirectly by the user which would be added to the order cost at the timethat payment is authorized by the user.

In another aspect, there could be an instance where the print orderincludes print products that are produced by kiosk 202 or photofinishingsystem 228 due to capabilities or substrate supply. In this instance,the final payment that is requested by server 202 to payment processingsystem 232 would only be for the print products that were actuallyproduced even though the payment authorization was for the full ordercost. This prevents the user from paying for print products that werenot produced by kiosk 204 or photofinishing system 228.

In yet another aspect, the method 300 may include the ability to displaymultiple batches of digital images on kiosk 204 that were uploaded toserver 202 at different times or by different people. For example, auser may have uploaded a first digital image to server 202 using adesktop computing device 212 at a certain time and received a firstunique identifier from server 202 in accordance with steps 302-308. At alater time period, the user or some other person (e.g., family member,friend, etc.) may have uploaded a second digital image to server 202using a respective mobile computing device 214 and received a secondunique identifier from server 202 once again in accordance with steps302-308. If the user wanted to display the first and second images onuser interface 214 of kiosk 204 to select and order a print productincluding the first and second digital images, then the user would inputthe first unique identifier in accordance with steps 310-314 to displaythe first digital image, and then repeat these steps using the secondunique identifier. The method would then proceed in accordance with theremaining steps in method 300.

In another aspect, it should be understood that the methods set forthabove may be embodied in computer readable instructions stored on anon-transitory computer readable medium.

Having described the system and method of the present invention and anembodiment thereof, an exemplary computer environment for implementingthe described design and execution is presented next.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary computing environment 700 that can be used toimplement any of the processing thus far described. Computingenvironment 700 may include one or more computers 712 (such as server202, kiosk 204, desktop computing device 212, mobile computing device214, photofinishing system 228, payment processing system 232)comprising a system bus 724 that couples a video interface 726, networkinterface 728, a keyboard/mouse interface 734, and a system memory 736to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 738. A monitor or display 740 isconnected to bus 724 by video interface 726 and provides the user with agraphical user interface to view, edit, and prepare a print order usingdigital images, including the selection of an identified substrate, orthe selection a size and/or display location for a print product. Thegraphical user interface allows the user to enter commands andinformation into computer 712 using a keyboard 741 and a user interfaceselection device 743, such as a mouse, touch screen, or other pointingdevice. Keyboard 741 and user interface selection device 743 may beconnected to bus 724 through keyboard/mouse interface 734. The display740 and user interface selection device 743 are used in combination toform the graphical user interface which allows the user to implement atleast a portion of the present invention. Other peripheral devices maybe connected to the remote computer through universal serial bus (USB)drives 745 to transfer information to and from computer 712. Forexample, cameras and camcorders may be connected to computer 712 throughserial port 732 or USB drives 745 so that data representative of adigital image or video may be downloaded to system memory 736 or anothermemory storage device associated with computer 712 such that the digitalimages may be subsequently printed on a substrate by one or moreprinting devices 226, 230.

The system memory 736 is also connected to bus 724 and may include readonly memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), an operating system 744,a basic input/output system (BIOS) 746, application programs 748 andprogram data 750. The computer 712 may further include a hard disk drive752 for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive754 for reading from and writing to a removable magnetic disk (e.g.,floppy disk), and an optical disk drive 756 for reading from and writingto a removable optical disk (e.g., CD ROM or other optical media). Thecomputer 712 may also include USB drives 745 and other types of drivesfor reading from and writing to flash memory devices (e.g., compactflash, memory stick/PRO and DUO, SD card, multimedia card, smart mediaxD card), and a scanner 758 for scanning items such as digital images tobe downloaded to computer 712. A hard disk drive interface 752 a,magnetic disk drive interface 754 a, an optical drive interface 756 a, aUSB drive interface 745 a, and a scanner interface 758 a operate toconnect bus 724 to hard disk drive 752, magnetic disk drive 754, opticaldisk drive 756, USB drive 745 and scanner 758, respectively. Each ofthese drive components and their associated computer-readable media mayprovide computer 712 with non-volatile storage of computer-readableinstruction, program modules, data structures, application programs, anoperating system, and other data for computer 712. In addition, it willbe understood that computer 712 may also utilize other types ofcomputer-readable media in addition to those types set forth herein,such as digital video disks, random access memory, read only memory,other types of flash memory cards, magnetic cassettes, and the like.

Computer 712 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections with each of the system components described above. Networkinterface 728 provides a communication path 760 between bus 724 andnetwork 206, which allows, for example, a print order, digital image,unique payment link, unique identifier, input identifier, token ID,payment authorization, notification, inquiry, and the identified andselected substrate to be communicated through network 206 between therespective components of system 200. This type of logical networkconnection is commonly used in conjunction with a local area network(LAN). These items may also be communicated from bus 724 through acommunication path 762 to network 206 using serial port 732 and a modem764. Using a modem connection between the computer 712 and the othercomponents of system 200 is commonly used in conjunction with a widearea network (WAN). It will be appreciated that the network connectionsshown herein are merely exemplary, and it is within the scope of thepresent invention to use other types of network connections betweencomputer 712 and the other components of system 200 including both wiredand wireless connections.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the method and apparatus. It will be understood that certain featuresand sub combinations are of utility and may be employed withoutreference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplatedby and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possibleembodiments of the invention may be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein setforth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted asillustrative and not limiting.

The constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings arepresented by way of example only and are not intended to limit theconcepts and principles of the present invention. As used herein, theterms “having” and/or “including” and other terms of inclusion are termsindicative of inclusion rather than requirement.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof to adapt to particular situations without departingfrom the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that theinvention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as thebest mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that theinvention will include all embodiments falling within the scope andspirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method programmed forexecution in a computing environment for ordering and facilitatingpayment of at least one print product, wherein the method is implementedutilizing a computing system including a processor, a memory, and a userinterface device in communication with the processor, wherein thecomputing system is controlled by a first business entity, the methodcomprising: a) storing a digital image in the memory of the computingsystem; b) allowing for the selection of at least one print productusing a user interface of the user interface device to establish a printorder, wherein the at least one print product includes the digital imagedisposed thereon, and wherein the print order includes an identificationof the selected at least one print product and an order cost to fulfillthe print order; c) generating a unique payment link by the processorthat corresponds to the print order, wherein the unique payment linkprovides a user computing device with access to communicate paymentinformation to a remote payment processing system over a network toprovide payment for the print order, wherein the payment processingsystem is controlled by a second business entity, and wherein thepayment information includes personal identifiable information; d)providing access to the unique payment link to the user computingdevice; e) receiving a payment notification at the processor from theremote payment processing system; and f) allowing for the fulfillment ofat least a portion of the print order using a printing device.
 2. Amethod in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step ofreceiving an inquiry at the processor from the user interface devicerelated to the receipt of the payment notification prior to allowing forthe fulfillment of the print order using the printing device, whereinthe payment notification indicates that a payment authorization has beenreceived by the remote payment processing system through use of theunique payment link by the user computing device, wherein the paymentauthorization is for an amount equal to the order cost.
 3. A method inaccordance with claim 2, wherein a final payment amount is requestedfrom the payment processing system after the fulfillment of the printorder by the printing device, wherein the final payment amount is basedon the portion of the print order that was fulfilled by the printingdevice up to the amount equal to the order cost.
 4. A method inaccordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of: receiving apayment initiation notice at the processor that the user computingdevice has utilized the unique payment link to initiate payment with thepayment processing system; and receiving an inquiry at the processorfrom the user interface device related to the receipt of the paymentinitiation notice.
 5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein thestep of providing the unique payment link includes communicating atleast one of: an e-mail to the user computing device from the processorupon receiving a request from the user interface device through the userinterface; a text message to the user computing device from theprocessor upon receiving a request from the user interface devicethrough the user interface; the unique payment link to the userinterface device so that the unique payment link is displayed on theuser interface and manually inputted into the user computing device; ora QR code to the user interface device so that the QR code is displayedon the user interface and used by the user computing device to accessthe unique payment link.
 6. A method in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe computing system includes a first computing device including theprocessor and the memory, and a second computing device including theuser interface device displaying the user interface, wherein the secondcomputing device is in communication with the first computing deviceover the network.
 7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein thefirst computing device is a print product ordering server and the secondcomputing device is a photo kiosk.
 8. A method in accordance with claim1, wherein the processor, the memory, and the user interface device areintegrated in a single computing device.
 9. A computing system forordering and facilitating payment of at least one print product, whereinthe computing system is controlled by a first business entity, thecomputing system comprising: a processor; a memory; and a user interfacedevice in communication with the processor, wherein the computing systemis configured for: a) storing a digital image in the memory; b) allowingfor the selection of at least one print product using a user interfaceof the user interface device to establish a print order, wherein the atleast one print product includes the digital image disposed thereon, andwherein the print order includes an identification of the selected atleast one print product and an order cost to fulfill the print order; c)generating a unique payment link by the processor that corresponds tothe print order, wherein the unique payment link provides a usercomputing device with access to communicate payment information to aremote payment processing system over a network to provide payment forthe print order, wherein the payment processing system is controlled bya second business entity, and wherein the payment information includespersonal identifiable information; d) providing access to the uniquepayment link to the user computing device; e) receiving a paymentnotification at the processor from the remote payment processing system;and f) allowing for the fulfillment of at least a portion of the printorder using a printing device.
 10. A computing system in accordance withclaim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured forreceiving an inquiry at the processor from the user interface devicerelated to the receipt of the payment notification prior to allowing forthe fulfillment of the print order using the printing device, whereinthe payment notification indicates that a payment authorization has beenreceived by the remote payment processing system through use of theunique payment link by the user computing device, wherein the paymentauthorization is for an amount equal to the order cost.
 11. A computingsystem in accordance with claim 10, wherein a final payment amount isrequested from the payment processing system after the fulfillment ofthe print order by the printing device, wherein the final payment amountis based on the portion of the print order that was fulfilled by theprinting device up to the amount equal to the order cost.
 12. Acomputing system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the computingsystem is further configured for: receiving a payment initiation noticeat the processor that the user computing device has utilized the uniquepayment link to initiate payment with the payment processing system; andreceiving an inquiry at the processor from the user interface devicerelated to the receipt of the payment initiation notice.
 13. A computingsystem in accordance with claim 9, wherein providing the unique paymentlink includes communicating at least one of: an e-mail to the usercomputing device from the processor upon receiving a request from theuser interface device through the user interface; a text message to theuser computing device from the processor upon receiving a request fromthe user interface device through the user interface; the unique paymentlink to the user interface device so that the unique payment link isdisplayed on the user interface and manually inputted into the usercomputing device; or a QR code to the user interface device so that theQR code is displayed on the user interface and used by the usercomputing device to access the unique payment link.
 14. A computingsystem in accordance with claim 9, wherein the computing system includesa first computing device including the processor and the memory, and asecond computing device including the user interface device displayingthe user interface, wherein the second computing device is incommunication with the first computing device over the network.
 15. Acomputing device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the firstcomputing device is a print product ordering server and the secondcomputing device is a photo kiosk.
 16. A computing device in accordancewith claim 9, wherein the processor, the memory, and the user interfacedevice are integrated in a single computing device.
 17. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium having thereon computer executable instructionsfor executing a method in a computing system for ordering andfacilitating payment of at least one print product, wherein the methodis implemented utilizing a processor, a memory, and a user interfacedevice in communication with the processor, wherein the computing systemis controlled by a first business entity, the method comprising: a)storing a digital image in the memory of the computing system; b)allowing for the selection of at least one print product using a userinterface of the user interface device to establish a print order,wherein the at least one print product includes the digital imagedisposed thereon, and wherein the print order includes an identificationof the selected at least one print product and an order cost to fulfillthe print order; c) generating a unique payment link by the processorthat corresponds to the print order, wherein the unique payment linkprovides a user computing device with access to communicate paymentinformation to a remote payment processing system over the network toprovide payment for the print order, wherein the payment processingsystem is controlled by a second business entity, and wherein thepayment information includes personal identifiable information; d)providing access to the unique payment link to the user computingdevice; e) receiving a payment notification at the processor from theremote payment processing system; and f) allowing for the fulfillment ofat least a portion of the print order using a printing device.
 18. Anon-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17,wherein the method further comprises the step of receiving an inquiryfrom the user interface device related to the receipt of the paymentnotification prior to allowing for the fulfillment of the print orderusing the printing device, wherein the payment notification indicatesthat a payment authorization has been received by the remote paymentprocessing system through use of the unique payment link by the usercomputing device, wherein the payment authorization is for an amountequal to the order cost.
 19. A non-transitory computer readable mediumin accordance with claim 18, wherein a final payment amount is requestedfrom the payment processing system after the fulfillment of the printorder by the printing device, wherein the final payment amount is basedon the portion of the print order that was fulfilled by the printingdevice up to the amount equal to the order cost.
 20. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium in accordance with claim 17, further comprisingthe steps of: receiving a payment initiation notice at the processorthat the user computing device has utilized the unique payment link toinitiate payment with the payment processing system; and receiving aninquiry at the processor from the user interface device related to thereceipt of the payment initiation notice.
 21. A non-transitory computerreadable medium in accordance with claim 17, wherein the step ofproviding the unique payment link includes communicating at least oneof: an e-mail to the user computing device from the processor uponreceiving a request from the user interface device through the userinterface; a text message to the user computing device from theprocessor upon receiving a request from the user interface devicethrough the user interface; the unique payment link to the userinterface device so that the unique payment link is displayed on theuser interface and manually inputted into the user computing device; ora QR code to the user interface device so that the QR code is displayedon the user interface and used by the user computing device to accessthe unique payment link.
 22. A non-transitory computer readable mediumin accordance with claim 17, wherein the computing system includes afirst computing device including the processor and the memory, and asecond computing device including the user interface device displayingthe user interface, wherein the second computing device is incommunication with the first computing device over the network.
 23. Anon-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 22,wherein the first computing device is a print product ordering serverand the second computing device is a photo kiosk.
 24. A non-transitorycomputer readable medium in accordance with claim 17, wherein theprocessor, the memory, and the user interface device are integrated in asingle computing device.